Gujarat is priceless, can never be bought: Rahul Gandhi after Narendra Patel’s bribery claimshttps://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-is-priceless-can-never-be-bought-rahul-gandhi-on-narendra-patels-bribery-claims-4902364/

A day after Patidar leader Narendra Patel claimed he was offered Rs 1 crore as bribe to join the BJP, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said Gujarat can never be bought. In a tweet, the 47-year-old leader said, “Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought.”

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Patel, a local convenor of Hardik Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), on Sunday held a late night press conference, where he spread out bundles of Rs 500 notes amounting to Rs 10 lakh before the media and claimed that the money is the “advance” he received from the BJP. He claimed the party has promised him Rs 1 crore. He went on to allege that newly joined member of the party, Varun Patel, took him to meet state president Jitubhai Vaghani and offered him the “token” cash.

“Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gandhi will embark on a visit to Ahmedabad in poll-bound Gujarat on Monday. He is scheduled to take part in OBC “Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan” rally in Gandhinagar, where OBC leader Alpesh Thakor will join the party. Gandhi is also likely to meet PAAS convenor Hardik Patel today. Congress on Sunday had extended invitation to Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani to meet Gandhi during his visit to Ahmedababd ahead of the assembly elections.